Enjoying the City of Solo on Chinese New Year Holiday

As a home to many Chinese-Indonesians, Solo in Central Java will hold different festivals to welcome the festivity locally known as Imlek. The small town boasts lively and warm ambiance during the occasion. Here are a Couple of recommendations on what to do during the long weekend at Solo:

1 | Stroll and enjoy the red lanterns set along the principal streets

Whenever Chinese New Year in Solo draws near, the Solo administration takes an opportunity to color the city with thousands of beautiful lanterns, set up along its main roads, Jl. Jendral Sudirman and Jl. Jendral Urip Sumoharjo. Don’t forget to take many images on the streets to post on the social network!

2 | Visit the Solo Imlek Fair in Fort Vastenburg

Fort Vastenburg that was a heritage of the colonial era is popularly known as a location of various festivities, including Imlek Fair. The fair is an annual festival which combines Javanese and Chinese civilizations through decorations or performances, such as gamelan (bronze outfit ).

3 | Don’t overlook the annual Grebeg Sudiro tradition

Each year Chinese-Javanese community in richly celebrate Imlek with Grebeg Sudiro carnival in Pasar Gede area, which is the city’s Chinatown. Grebeg Sudiro is a carnival showcasing the fusion of Javanese culture. Take part in the excitement of this carnival by snatching Kue keranjang (basket cakes) out of a gunungan (cone-shaped float of offerings) that’ll be paraded around the area.

4 | Stop at Pasar Gedhe for local festivities

Renowned as Solo’s Chinatown and culinary haven, Pasar Gede is usually used for many Regional celebrations, such as Imlek Festival, Solo Indonesia Culinary Festival, or Solo Gamelan Festival. Stop by in the marketplace to look at any ongoing festival but don’t worry if there’s no festival. Walk down the market to attempt Solo’s wealthy delicacies, such as Soto Tengkleng (Shrimp bone soup), or shop for Batik Solo.